


Destiny's A Callin'

by squeallyeel22



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe, Elemental Magic, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2020-04-06 23:12:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 11,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19072618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squeallyeel22/pseuds/squeallyeel22
Summary: When you’re trying to finish up your last year of college, you receive a phone call from someone you never thought would contact you, let alone lead you on an adventure you could have only imagined of having. Now you have to come to grips with the past and balancing it with the present.





	1. The Calls

I was giving a presentation during my communications class when I noticed my phone light up on my desk. On it was a number I didn’t recognise, so I ignored it, continuing with my speech. When class ended, my professor told me I was one minute over the limit. As I head to my next class, that doesn’t weigh on my mind as much as the caller. The thing is …that number called me at least ten times with just as many voicemails. A sigh rolls past my lips as tried to pay attention in class. For the next two hours, I could not focus for the life of me.. As my art history class comes to an end, I finally head into the painting studio to listen to the many voicemails that the number left. Holding the phone to my ear, I’m greeted with a very frantic male voice rattling off in what sounds like Korean. Shrugging, I dubbed the contact “The Annoying One” and put my phone down. Not five minutes later, my phone starts to ring again, “The Annoying One” popping up on the screen. I let out a heavy sigh before answering.   
“Hello?” I answer. I hear a sigh of relief before the same voice goes off in Korean, just like his messages.  
“Woah, woah, woah, dude I can’t speak Korean,” I stammer out. He pauses.  
“What do you mean you can’t speak Korean? YOU’RE THE ONE THAT TAUGHT ME!” His crisp English yelled back.  
I am so fucking confused, “Listen, I do not know who you are or who the fuck you think I am, but you have the wrong number.”  
I go to hang up but I overhear him scream Y/N?!”   
**What….?** “How the fuck do you know my name?”  
“You gave me this number to call when you’ve graduated college so I could wake you up. Why the fuck do you not remember?”   
“Graduated? Boi, I have yet to graduate. Also, I am very much awake. Not like I could answer the phone in my sleep.”   
“How could you not have graduated? I did the math. You should have had time to reacclimatise to your powers again after this past May. How can you not remember, Y/N?” his voice starts to waver.  
I scoff, “What do you mean you did the math?”  
“You should be 22 now, right?”  
“Yeah, but my mother held me back a year before preschool.”  
I hear him groan in frustration, “Y/N, you have got to be kidding me.”  
“Nope.”   
“Well shit,” He mutters.  
I can’t help but chuckle at that, “You never told me who you are.”  
After I hear him sigh, “It’s Cha Hakyeon.”  
I freeze. **How did I not recognise his voice holy fuck why does N have my number????**   
“Y/N?”  
“Yeah, sorry. I’m still here.”  
“Where is ‘here’ for you?”  
“Why do you want to know?”  
“Perhaps I need it…” he playfully whined.   
I zone out, focusing on the wall in front of me as I debate giving him my address. Everything in life has told not to, but my gut is screaming at me to go ahead.  
Without thinking, I tell him.  
“Thank you!”  
“Why were you trying so hard to reach me?”  
I can hear Hakyeon softly scoff, “Because you always answer the first call. I honestly started to panic.”  
“I got that from your messages.”  
“How? I thought you couldn’t understand Korean?”  
“Your frantic rambling clued me in. Emotions are universal, even if I can’t understand it, I understand the feeling.”  
We talk a bit longer, getting to know each other before he let’s me get back to work. As I leave the studio for lunch, I receive a text saying that he’ll be in town over my winter break and that he’s going to try to stay as long as he can before he has to head back to work.


	2. Guess Who's Early

I make it through finals relatively unscathed before heading home. Hakyeon had started teaching me Korean during our long-ass Skype calls. I was surprised at picking it up so fast with his way of teaching despite not really being able to pick up any other language I had tried in the past. On the way back home, “The Annoying One” flashes across my screen with the incoming call.   
“Hey Hakyeon” I answer in Korean.  
“Oh look at you answering in Korean. Getting cheeky aren’t ya?” he replied.  
“What can I say? I have a good teacher.” I catch my mother giving me a side glance as I reply, but I ignore her. “What’s up?”  
“I may or may not be at the airport. What’s up with you?”  
“I’m heading home from school with my mom. Where are you off to?”  
“Well, I just landed about thirty minutes ago at (airport near you).”  
I deadpan. “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ARRIVING IN TWO WEEKS???” I yelled into the phone.  
“Jeez. And here I thought you’d be happy for your early Christmas present…” he said, disgruntled.   
“Hakyeon, oh my god, I can’t believe you. Of course I’m fucking happy that you’re here.”  
He laughs, “I’m heading to my hotel now, but let me know when you’re at your house and I’ll come pick you up.” I can practically hear his cheeky smile.  
“My parents are going to want to have dinner with me, but I’ll definitely let you know when I’m done with them.”  
“Sounds good. I can’t wait to see you.”  
“I can’t wait to see you, too.”  
We hang up and I apologise to my mother for my outburst earlier.  
“Who was that?”  
“My friend, Hakyeon. He arrived earlier than I thought he had planned for Christmas. He was originally going to arrive after Christmas to help me move back to Ashland.”  
“I take it he’s from Korea?” she asks pointedly.  
“Yeah. Don’t you worry. He’s fluent in English.”  
I know she’s doubting my judgement, but I know him, even though it’s been a week, I know I trusted him at one point and for some reason, I chose to take on this life. Hakyeon has been a rock for me this past week so I’m curious to see what physically being around him would be like. We arrive at the house an hour later and head out for dinner. It passes slow, knowing that I’ll be meeting Hakyeon when we get back to the house. I had already texted him that we were leaving the restaurant as my father kept talking to the cashier. I go outside to wait for them, feeling the cold, winter air on my face. Closing my eyes, I suddenly feel an electric current race through my body. I let out a breath, watching the condensation race through the air. The sound of my parents leaving the restaurant doors snaps me back to reality, but without further ado, we finally leave the restaurant.


	3. Out with Hakyeon

As we drive up the street, I am the first to notice the unfamiliar car in the driveway. I’m bouncing in my seat and as my dad pulls to a stop, I am out the car and running into Hakyeon’s arms. He spins me around as we laugh. I take in his smell, the feel of him against me, just all of Hakyeon. He is not N, not to me. I feel the same current from before race through me yet again, but it’s not as intense as before.  
We pulled apart, his sweet shining.  
“I still can’t believe you’re here.” I exclaim.  
“Honestly, this is the best decision I’ve ever made.”  
I heard a throat clear behind me. I turn to see my father and my mother standing behind him.   
“Mom, Dad, this is my good friend, Cha Hakyeon.”  
“Pleasure to meet you both,” he says flawlessly, holding his hand out to my dad.  
I notice my dad’s eyebrows raise a fraction as he accepts his hand.  
“May I ask how you know my daughter?”   
“We met through a my brother who was in the international club at Ashland University. We were having a video call to catch up when she walked in the room. Needless to say, we became fast friends,” he lies smoothly.   
“I see. Well don’t stay out too late,” my father nods. They head inside as I turn back to Ji. He grabs my hand and we start walking towards his car.  
“So where to?”   
“It’s a surprise!” He says as we climb in and he pulls out of the driveway, making our way downtown. He pulls up to the door outside a fancy restaurant and exits the car. Opening the door for me, I grab his hand and get out. He hands the keys to the valet before we head inside. I immensely fell underdressed in my large sweater and leggings, but Hakyeon squeezes my hand reassuringly.   
“If anyone makes a fuss, they’ll answer to me,” he whispers in my ear. I giggle. We enter the restaurant with ease (even if I received glares, but I shrugged them off). Conversation flowed easily between us as we ate. Even though I had my fair share at dinner with my parents, the soufflé was too tempting not to get. It was over a glass of wine that the conversation turned towards what I was truly curious over: us and who we were that would warrant us to go through this ‘hibernation’ phase.   
“Hakyeon, do you know exactly what we are?” I ask, causing his eyebrow to crinkle in confusion, “As in are we humans or are we something that mimics human for a short time? Because I’m still confused by this hibernation thing you keep saying that I’m in.”  
“Ah, we’re…not really human. The closest thing that I can compare us to would be that of the element benders in Avatar the Last Airbender and druids. The exact name of our species remains a secret to all those expect the elders alone in order to protect the species becoming known to humans.”  
I nod, “But why this process of becoming human and being reborn?”   
“It’s a way to reestablish our humanity…or make you lose it. It’s a very dangerous process depending on the family you’re born into. Some upbringings can be worked with if it doesn’t turn out well, like if you were spoiled as a kid, but there’s always the danger of the darker side of families.”  
“Like abusive households,” I mumble.  
He solemnly nods before continuing, “Though this is something that can truly help us. You had felt lost in your entire existence which is why you chose to go through this.”  
I burst up laughing, stating that I still haven’t found my purpose which sends him laughing as well, causing people to glare at us more.  
“Let’s head out so we can talk more privately.”  
We gather our things before leaving, Hakyeon paying the hefty bill. I’m usually against people paying for me, but I knew he wanted to treat me for Christmas and for actually hanging out in person for the first time in 22 years so I let it slide this once. Exiting into the cold air, I feel the electric current race through me yet again, but this time it caused me to physically shiver.  
“Everything alright? Are you cold?” asked Hakyeon, noticing the shiver.  
“I’m good, just the quick temperature change threw my body for a loop.”  
He nods but his eyes say differently. The valet pulls up with his car, giving him the keys. Hakyeon opens the door for me, closing it once I’m settled inside, before heading to his side. As we drive away, I notice he’s not driving as fast as before.  
“Hotel close by?”  
“How’d you know?” he smirked before turning into the parking garage. After parking, just like at the restaurant, he opens my door, helping me out before we head up to his room.


	4. At the Hotel

We take off our shoes before settling on the couch in his lounge. The room was a bit grand but not overly so. It was…comfy.  
“Did you go through the hibernation process?”  
“Yeah, with this life. You were my nanny until I was 7, then you left me a note to open when I woke up. That confused the hell out of me back then because at that point all but one were in hibernation. It explained everything and said if I needed anything, to go to Wonsik. He was the only one that didn’t go through the hibernation for that reason.”  
“So who all…?”  
“All of Vixx are Druids…and your family.”  
“I thought you said you didn’t know the name.”  
“I don’t. I just call us that cause it’s easier.”  
I laugh at that, hearing him join in as well. Taking a deep breath, I feel the exhaustion from the past couple weeks of finals finally hit my body, my eyes slowly drooping closed.  
“So what really caused you to shiver back at the restaurant?” Hakyeon’s voice snapping me back awake. He’s on the other side of the couch, my legs on top of his. I didn’t even feel when he did that.  
“I don’t know. It was like this electric current running through me. It only started tonight, when we had hugged at my house,” I mumble, leaning my head back onto the arm rest.  
He breaths out a slight chuckle. I snap my head up to look at him, “What?”  
“It’s starting. Your powers are waking.”  
I nod, honestly too tired to care.  
“Come on,” I hear Hakyeon say before he picks me up and carries me to the bedroom beforeI lose consciousness.  
The next morning I wake up, disoriented by the new surroundings. I barely see my phone on the nightstand right next to a contacts case. Oh my god, Hakyeon took out my contacts. What the fuck? I grab my phone and see it’s around 9am and I have 5 missed calls from my parents. After a quick call to assure them I’m fine, I go into the bathroom, putting my contacts in and using the second toothbrush there. Heading out into the lounge, Hakyeon is on the couch looking at his phone, frowning at something with the tv on.  
“Good morning.”  
Hakyeon looks up, his face instantly brightening up, “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”  
I nod, “As weird as it is, thank you for taking out my contacts as well.”  
“It was nothing,” he smiles, before frowning as his phone goes off again.  
“What’s going on?” I gesture to his phone.  
“Wonsik. He wanted to know when he can see you again. I don’t think he’s realised you are still in hibernation.”  
We have a good chuckle at that.  
“Breakfast?” he asks.  
My stomach grumbles, “Well I guess that answers that.”  
We laugh as I grab my things before leaving for the day. And that’s mainly how it went for most of the days we spent together. I was with him, more that I had been home in the past semester, which had barely been a week for Thanksgiving.


	5. A Forced Awakening

My parents were still cautious about him since I was barely home and had basically moved into his hotel room. He did take them out to dinner one day when I asked to go back to my house for a night to myself. All of them were smiling when they returned later that night.   
It was two days before Christmas when things took a turn. Hakyeon and I were walking around Cleveland late at night, enjoying the beautiful lights that city had adorned the streets and parks with when we were yanked into an alleyway.  
“Hand over your money and phones,” one of three big guys holding a gun demanded, fingers digging into my shoulder. Hakyeon moved inbetween us, grabbing the barrell of gun, lowering it.  
“You better think about this before you do something you might regret,” Hakyeon eyes darken as he removed the thug’s hand from me. The other two grab Hakyeon and restrain him as I back up against the wall, only able to watch as the leader aimed the gun at him.  
He chuckled, “You should take your own advice.”  
The electric current raced through me again, but it was nothing like before. I couldn’t stop the intense shaking racing through my body and moving my limbs.  
“What the-“  
He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence as a whip of water sliced across his neck, spraying blood on his pals.   
“FUCK!” Scrambling for their guns before gigantic icicles pierce through their bodies. As they collapse, I barely feel Hakyeon’s arms wrapped as I stare at the dead bodies in front of us: The bodies that I killed.  
“Liz?” His voice breaking through my spiralling thoughts.   
I take a shaky breath before leaning heavily through them.  
“What happened?”  
“Your powers activated. Honestly, it could have been a better situation, but they’re here. Let’s get back to the hotel.”  
He drags me away, trying to distract me as we walk. Once we make it back up to the room, I breakdown. Hakyeon lifts me up and makes his way to the bed where he holds me as I cried. I don’t know how long we stay like that before sleep take me.


	6. Remembering

My body feels like it was rammed by a train the next morning…but it also feels stronger. There’s that electricity from before, but it’s a constant hum of energy throughout my muscles. Sitting up while rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I take in the room before me. It’s the same as before but everything is so sharp. I could even hear Hakyeon’s fingers taping away on his phone in the room next door.

What’s really peculiar is that the weight of those muggers’ deaths…it’s just…not as heavy as I was expecting. Sharp pain rips through my head as flashes of my past come through. I bound out of the bed and into the lounge, making my way over to Hakyeon and cuddling into his side.  
“Whatcha doin’?” I ask.  
His eyebrows furrow, but still says, “Texting Wonsik. How are you this morning?”  
“I…don’t know.  
“Oh really?” Hakyeon inquired, sass dripping from his words, “What’s worse?  
“Remember Salem? How everyone thought you were witches simply for being Asian? After I helped you guys escape, I was captured and taken to trial for conspiring with the devil. I was burned afterwards and when my body didn’t burn further, they chained me up, tossed me into a hole and buried me. Honestly, as much as it hurt, I would do it all over agin. I can’t stand to watch you guys suffer.”  
Hakyeon’s eyes widen exponentially, “How do you remember that?”  
“Because I do?”  
He stares at her before realisation dawns on him, “Oh right! Memories come back as soon as the power activates. They may be slow, but the powerful ones return the fastest.”  
“Guess I can say goodbye to sleep for a while.”  
Hakyeon chuckles, “Come on. Let’s get going. We’re going to art museum today.”

 

One Week Later:

I’m running. Why am I running? The walls are barren as I make turn after turn. I’m so lost. Why am I here? What did I do to deserve this? I can’t catch my breath.  
“Subject 11, keep moving.” a voice on the PA announced. Sharp electricity rips through my body as I scream.  
“Y/N! Y/N!” Hakyeon is shaking me awake. My eyes take in the hotel room. I’m safe. I’m not there. Why did it feel like I was. I feel Hakyeon’s hands on the sides of my face as he forces me to look at him, face full of concern.  
“Y/N, what’s wrong?”  
I can’t respond, the pain still coursing through my veins. The familiar pain of the reactivation surges through my head, a groan escaping my lips as my head falls forward to his shoulder.  
Hakyeon’s hands move down to hold my hands, “Was it another memory?”  
I shake my head, “It felt too real to be a memory. Almost like it was happening right now.”  
“I don’t see how that’s possible—“  
“Is everyone accounted for in their locations?” I look into his eyes.  
“What?”  
“Where is everyone, Hakyeon?” I demand, getting off the bed and begin pacing.  
“I’m here, Wonsik and Hongbin are in Japan, Hyuk is working on a new album in Seoul, and Leo is in jail following his trial from May.”  
“‘Trial?’”  
He grabs his phone, pulling up the article, “He was found guilty of a wrongful death in a hit and run.”

I look at Hakyeon with wide eyes, “He’s not in jail.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“We need to go to Korea right now.”  
He scrambles off the bed and grabs my arms before I dive for my bag.  
“Hey. Y/N. What do you mean Leo’s not in jail?”  
“I think the government found him out,” I gulp, “I felt him, Hakyeon, he’s suffering.”  
Hakyeon nods, “Let’s get your stuff over to Ashland tomorrow. After you’re moved in, we’ll make our way to Korea. I’ll call in Wonsik as well.”  
“Good. We’ll need the extra hands. What of Vix and Zeta? Do you know if they’re awake?”  
Hakyeon’s head snaps up at that, “Echo?”  
I can only smirk before we begin packing.


	7. Move In and Move Out

My past life was intriguing to say the least, but I will not miss it. I know she would have wanted this life over anything else. I’ll finish college for her family and set her up in a good job before cutting off communication for the most part. She was planning on it anyway since they were barely close to begin with. Everything worked out on my end. I hope it did for the others as well. Hakyeon also did right by waiting for me and then easing me back into my old life. It’s interesting that I don’t feel much different than before hibernating, but I also feel different in how I view humans. There is a hatred left over from her, but respect, admiration and understanding as well. Her views always tended to be bittersweet, but it lets me see more beauty than I did prior.  
Hakyeon and I move back to my university without much hassle and as soon as everything is back where it needs to be, and leaving a note for my roommate, we head out.   
As I take the wheel (the look on Hakyeon was face priceless since my human version couldn’t drive at all), he calls Wonsik to see if he’s back in Korea yet. Turns out the reason he was in Japan was to help Hongbin out as he awakened, but Jaehwan and Sanghyuk were still in hibernation. Time flew by on the flight and in no time, we were in Korea meeting up at Hakyeon’s flat.  
“LIZ!!!!!” Wonsik screamed, running to hug me, spinning me around just like Hakyeon did before.  
“WONSIK!!!” I squeal. Hongbin pulls me into a tight hug after Wonsik puts me down. After a quick catch up in the lounge, it’s time to get to business.  
“We are in some deep shit. I believe Taekwoon has been caught by the government and is being tested on.”  
Wonsik, “What?! How?!”  
“His trial.” Hongbin deadpanned.   
I nod, “I think they covered up his powers activating by saying it was a hit and run.”  
“So what are you planning?” questioned Hakyeon.  
“We find out where he is, which will be hard without Sanghyuk, but we’ll make do. After that, sneak in, sneak him out.”  
“Okay, say this goes according to plan? What about after? The government will be going crazy trying to find those responsible,”asked Wonsik.  
“Then they’ll have to go through me.”


	8. Just Some Light Treason

We surprisingly found the secret base with ease since it was “hidden” in plain sight, but I was completely on edge, my mind screaming that this was a trap. Everyone was in position, ready to go at my command. I take a deep breath.   
“He’s definitely here,” Hakyeon says in the com, “I can hear him in the Western quadrant.”  
“That’ll be my focus. Hongbin, I want you with me. Everyone else, you have your tasks. Keep your masks on at all times and at all costs, do not get caught.”  
“Shift change,” Hakyeon signals. Good. Weakened defences.  
“Move in.”  
We rush the facility, Hongbin by my side. Knocking everyone out with ease, we slither through to the Western Quadrant. Large metal doors stood in our way, locking Taekwoon away from us. Hongbin punches the door, sending it off its hinges. Stepping into the room, I notice how dark and barren it is, save for two cages. I rush to Taekwoon’s side, quickly freezing off the lock. Cursing at how light he is, I help him out of the cage.  
“Echo?” he groans, not opening his eyes.  
“I’ve got you, my love.”  
I sling his arm around my shoulders, letting him get used to standing again when I noticed a slumped over figure in the other cage.  
“She passed this morning,” Taekwoon coldly states, “They were trying to create a Druid.”  
With a sigh, I nod to Hongbin. He goes to the com, “We’ve got him. Move out.” He bolts from the room, clearing a path.  
“Ready?” I ask Taekwoon, who simply nods. Gently swinging him over my shoulder, I race out of the facility and into the forest nearby within the minute. Suddenly, the east side of the building bursts into flames. I set Taekwoon down in grass as we wait for Wonsik.  
“Hakyeon…I told him just to burn the records and wipe the drive, not burn down the fucking building.”  
Taekwoon weakly chuckles, before coughing harshly, spitting blood onto the grass before passing out just as Hongbin approaches us.  
“TAEKWOON?!”


	9. On the Move

I’m instantly by his side, “Taekwoon, what’s wrong?”  
Hongbin kneels on the other side of Taekwoon. Hakyeon and Wonsik come racing through the trees.   
“We need to get moving,” Wonsik says as Hongbin picks Taekwoon up. I nod, but my focus is on Taekwoon, “Move to the Second Base. It has better medical supplies.”  
Making it back to the van, Hongbin gently lays the older man down in the back seat before everyone piles. Wonsik leads the way through Seoul, heading towards Namsan Tower before taking a turn off the road. As we approach a hidden portion of the cliff side, Wonsik gets out as Hongbin shifts to the driver seat. The rapper stomps on the ground, pushing his arms forward. A large section of the cliffside yields to him, moving out of the way revealing a tunnel. Hongbin drives forth, Wonsik right behind them, closing them in.  
Parking the car, Hongbin gets out to take Taekwoon to the medical bay with me hot on their tails. Once there, Hakyeon takes over, shooing everyone out before getting to work.  
I pace outside the doors, biting my lip.  
“Y/N?”   
I stop and look up to see Wonsik looking at me, concern all over his face. He pulls me into a hug, which I gladly accept. After a moment, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Wonsik, have you heard from Sanghyuk or Jaehwan yet?”  
“Not yet. I think Jaehwan has a concert tonight and Sanghyuk should be back in the dorm, but I’ll head out once we’re all settled here. I have no doubt that they’d be glad to see me since it has been quite a while.”  
At that moment, Hakyeon opens the door, looking deflated.  
“Y/N, go ahead in,” he steps aside as I speed inside, directly to Taekwoon’s side. He has a bunch of wires hooked up to him, a strange sight for a Druid due to our healing ability. He looks like he’s been through hell: dark bags under his eyes, various cuts and bruises decorating his face and chest. Something was not right at all.  
“Taekwoon, I’m here,” I gently whisper as I grab him hand. I feel a slight squeeze from him as his eyes start to open, causing me to gasp. Instead of the warm brown irises, deep pools of black stared back at me, confirming my worst fear: the Rites of Death.


	10. Well Fuck

“I’m so sorry,” his voice hoarse.  
“You have nothing to be sorry for.”  
“Yes, I do,” He coughs, blood dribbling from the corner of his month, “I chose the rite. It’s only a matter of time before I..before I…” he couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. I gingerly sit next to him on the bed, mindful not to bump anything before leaning over to cup his cheek, wiping away the blood with a tissue, “You did what you thought was right. Honestly, each of us would have probably chosen the same fate.”  
He nods solemnly before leaning back and taking a deep breath before coughing violently again.  
“If there was a way to reverse the Rites, I would do it in a heartbeat,” he mutters, “I waited so long to hold you in my arms again.”  
I can’t help the sad smile that pulls at my lips, “It’s interesting that my human life was so fascinated with VIXX, even so much as dreaming of meeting you guys one day, especially you.”  
He breathes out a faint laugh, “And here you are, us married and sister to the rest.”  
I giggle at that, “Imagine my friends’ reactions to that. Oh gosh, they would die.”  
“Big fans I take it?”  
“Of the entire industry. They love VIXX, but most love Monsta X or Day6 more.”   
He chuckles tiredly.  
“Rest. I need to make sure everything is clear and that Taeyang makes it here safe,” I gently kiss his forehead, “I’ll be back soon.”  
Taekwoon is already fast asleep when I pull away. I run my hand through his hair a few times, feeling the tears threatening to fall. After pressing another kiss to his hair, I reluctantly leave his side, thoughts going a million miles all at once.


	11. An Unaware Guest

The Next Day:

Hakyeon and I were in the kitchen making some ramen when the bells go off, signally an arrival.  
“Wonsikkie must be back. Stay here,” I get up and head up to the lobby, only to find Wonsik leading Jaehwan and Sanghyuk into the lobby blindfolded. I raise an eyebrow at him, and he smiles apologetically.   
“Hyung, where are you taking me?” Sanghyuk asks, annoyance in his voice.  
I shake my head before approaching the two and taking the blindfolds off.  
“Hello,” I saw as I bow slightly to the two. Jaehwan looks at Wonsik in confusion, but says hi back.  
“Is this your girlfriend?” Sanghyuk asks. Wonsik and I share a look before bursting into laughter.  
“No, I’m a childhood friend of his. I just moved back to Korea after being in America for the past 15 years,” I smoothly lie.  
“I’m calling bullshit,” Jaehwan crosses his arms, “You would have told us of such a friend. Also, why would you need the blindfolds?”  
“For..fun..?”  
“Please, join us in the kitchen. Hakyeon and I are just finishing up making some ramen,” I shift the conversation. I lead them to the kitchen as I hear the two ask Wonsik why the leader was here. As we enter the kitchen, I see Hongbin set places for the 5 of us as Hakyeon starts pouring ramen into the bowls. I walk over to him, whispering, “Did you make something for Ace?”   
I see him quirk an eyebrow at the codename, but I know he knows about the two.  
“I’m saving some broth and smaller noodles for him. I’ll make sure it’s not too hot for him when you take it to him.”   
I give him a quick side hug before taking the bowls he’s already filled to the table. As soon as everyone is served we dig in. Conversation mainly stays at small talk as Jaehwan and Sanghyuk are confused as to what everyone was doing here and how they knew me. We each took turns trying to drop subtle hints about the Druids, but they seem to be flying over their heads. It had been going well beside that, that is until one brought up the main news topic of the day.  
“Did you guys hear about the government building that burned down?” Sanghyuk asked.  
I stand as I had finished my ramen and take it over to the sink before grabbing a tray and preparing everything for Taekwoon. As they talk I can feel the maknae’s eyes on me as I pick up the tray and leave the kitchen. The boys can handle those two. Or so I thought…


	12. Uh...Surprise?

I was in the middle of helping Taekwoon clean up some broth that had dribbled down when I got him laughing when the door opened. I was smiling when I turned, expecting Hakyeon or Hongbin, but instead…it was Sanghyuk with Jaehwan not far behind..  
“What the fuck?” The younger mutters.  
I pick up the tray and put it on a side table, before moving to the guys.  
“What the fuck is going on?” He says louder just as Wonsik runs into the room.   
“Y/N, sorry. I would’ve sho—“  
I stare them in the eyes, “I know, Wonsik. Go get Hakyeon.”  
I see him nod and leave before I turn to Taekwoon, “I’ll be back in a moment.”  
As I leave the room, I grab each of Jaehwan’s and Sanghyuk’s wrists, taking them with me.  
“Why were hyung’s eyes completely black?! And why the fuck was he hooked up to those machines?!” The two demanded as we walked but it wasn’t until we were in my office that I began to talk.  
“I am sorry that we did not tell you that Taekwoon is staying here or what is going on with him, but you must let me explain everything before either of you interrupt me,” I state, staring into his eyes.  
They give a quick nod. I gesture to one of the plush chairs to which he sits in. I tell them about myself, his friends, him and how we are part of this species tasked in protecting mankind from outside and inside threats whilst trying to maintain peace across the world. I tell him that humans have taken to attacking and capturing our kind. I tell him that that’s what happened with Taekwoon. That the government building burning was our fault.  
“Technically it was Hakyeon’s fault,” I state, “but that’s beside the point.”  
“WHAT?”  
I tell him what is happening to Taekwoon at the moment, feeling tears starting to well up in my eyes as I look down.  
“What about the Elders you talked about? Would they not know everything about the Rites?” Jaehwan asked.  
My head snaps up to look him in the eye, “Oh my gods. I’m fucking stupid.”  
I race out of my office into the med-bay, startling Hakyeon.  
“Taekwoon, I’m going to go meet with the Elders. They would know if there is anything else about the Rites.”  
He sits up quickly, wincing at the pain running through his body. Hakyeon puts a hand on his shoulder to gently guide him back.  
“Are you kidding Y/N?! The last time you went to them, you almost died.”  
My head hangs, “Yes, but that’s our only option if there is a chance, no matter how slim, to save you,” I lean forward, kissing him on the lips, “I have to try.”  
“Y/N…”  
“I love you. Hopefully I’ll be back soon,” I say as I give him one last kiss, “Hakyeon, watch over him.”  
Leaving the room, I run into Hongbin and Wonsik.   
“Wonsik, come on. You and I are going on a mission. Hongbin, be there for Jaehwan and Sanghyuk. The process has already been kick-started.”  
He nods before heading to go find the two. With that, Wonsik and I were off to the Elders.


	13. Facing the Elders

To an ordinary human, North Korea is naturally a dangerous place. To a Druid, it is the worst place you can go on Earth. The Druid Elders maintained the lifeline of the planet, keeping her alive and altering the weather to heal certain parts of the planet. The last time I had come here was due to the fact that Hongbin (at my command) and I had stopped a tsunami from hitting the South end of Japan. It was during one of VIXX’s concerts (back when they were travelling musicians in the 1800s) that it was due to strike, but we didn’t want the audience to get hurt. When they had gone to high ground, Hongbin and I dissipated the wave. Needless to say, the heat was merciless that year, causing many casualties and the Elders attempted to force me to take the Rites of Death. 

We snuck across the border fairly with ease, making our way towards the sacred grove up near Tokchon. Wonsik leads the way underground before we arrive at the entrance. Due to the spell around the door, we rise from the earth that night. I let Wonsik lead the way since he can feel any approaching threats before he stops.  
“We’re here.” Wonsik approaches a tree, placing his hand on the trunk.  
A faint light glimmers from beneath the bark the ground rumbles nearby. I turn just in time to see the earth fold in on itself to create a ramp to a door leading underground.  
“Here we go.”  
“Hopefully they don’t kill us on sight,” I chuckle nervously.  
We enter the small tunnel to enter the grove. Wonsik stayed behind me as we cautiously approached the elaborate wooden doors. As they open, guards circle around us and guide us to the grand hall where the seven Elders were gathered. The guards left us in the middle of the room where the thrones circled us before leaving and closing the door.  
“I thought we told you to never come here again,” Ester, the European Elder stated.  
Wonsik and I bow before I explain, “I need your help,” I fall to my knees, “My husband was given no choice but to start the Rites of Death to protect our very existence from the humans…please…”  
The Elders look at each other, before the Australian Elder, Nikora, spoke, “And why should we help you? We have not forgiven your past trespasses against both us and the Earth herself.”  
“I am aware, but I will do anything to save Taekwoon, even go through the Rites myself,” I didn’t care about the tears running down my cheeks. I didn’t care about appearing ‘strong’ to these people. Each minute I was here was a minute closer to Taekwoon’s death, “As long as he lives.”  
After a moment, Lux stands from their throne, “Let us speak amongst ourselves.”  
Wonsik pulls me up after bowing and taking me from the room.


	14. Waiting

As we waited in the hall, Wonsik has his arms around me as I couldn’t stop the sobs erupting from my throat.  
“I can’t lose him,” I murmur, “I can’t.”  
Before Wonsik could say anything, the doors opened as Chanda slithered through. We gave a small bow, but did not move otherwise.   
“They are still talking,” she states.  
I solemnly nod, fearing it is turning towards the worst.  
“They know my stance, which is why I am out here,” Chanda goes on, “I think you are brave for coming here to seek help, but that is not why I came out here. I am aware that you recently woke up from hibernation. Was it a good life?”  
I shake my head, “No. It was not, but it did bring into perspective that chosen families are far more stable than those by blood.”  
Chanda nods, “I see. What happened to cause the Rites?”  
“He had a hit and run and was sent to jail. I think the accident woke him from hibernation and unfortunately, was captured by the government. He chose the Rites to protect our species, no matter if the government was looking more towards defences against the North.”   
“He is a brave man,” she pauses before speaking again, “A decision has been reached.”  
Chanda turns and heads back into the main room.  
I face Wonsik and give him a tight hug before we follow after.


	15. The Decision

We stand in the middle of the room, nervously awaiting them to speak.  
Jadyn stands, “We have come to a unanimous decision. For his sacrifice to protect our existence, we will save Jung Taekwoon.”  
I release the breath I was unaware of holding.  
“On one condition,” Amor states, “A life for a life.”  
“You will give up your Rites of Death and become immortal,” Lux chimes.  
“You will also turn yourself into the North Koreans,” adds Ester.  
“If you fight back against your capturers at any point, we will take his life,” finishes Jun, “Do you accept the conditions?”  
I squeeze Wonsik’s hand, “I accept.”  
The Elders nod.  
“Then so be it. Follow me,” Jun states as he stands and walks through a door to the left of the circle.  
I turn to Wonsik and take my wedding ring off my finger, handing it to him, “Tell Taekwoon that I love him and that I’ll never stop,” I give him one last hug before following Jun through the door.


	16. Memories

_Taekwoon’s POV:_

I gaze at the door as Hakyeon leaves with the tray. One day. Barely. That’s all I got to see her for after not seeing her for 30 years. I sigh as I relaxed into the pillows, wincing at the spike of pain. Only yesterday she left with I’m guessing Wonsik since I haven’t seen him. It is strange being back to normal, even if I am dying. The past centuries fly past me as I remember the moment I laid eyes on Y/N.   
~~~~~~~  
She had just disembarked from her father’s merchant ship in 1662. I was tending my guardian’s stall when we had made eye-contact. She approached me with such confidence that I got so flustered. We got talking and next thing we knew, we were betrothed, causing quite the scandal in town. So we left with some interesting men, realising out at sea why we were married and why the crew was full of mis-matched men. We were all druids. Y/N’s interest in me sparked the beginning of a tribe that soon saw Hakyeon, Hongbin, Sanghyuk, Jaehwan and Wonsik joining. Which we foolishly ended up in Salem, Massachusetts. But what adventures we had through the years.  
~~~~~~~~  
Suddenly, a spark went off in my chest. Electricity takes over my body; I feel like I’m levitating. The light’s too bright. **Oh Gods—**

“Taekwoon?” I hear Hakyeon’s faint voice, his hand shaking my shoulder.  
I couldn’t help but groan as I sat up. The room is dark, but in no time a flashlight appears. But then I realise as I go to stand: No pain. At all.   
I snap, causing my body to light up the room with the blue flames.  
“How?” asks Hakyeon.  
My shoulders slump, “Y/N…”  
The lights flash back on.  
“She found a way.”


	17. Wonsik Returns

Four Days Later:

Wonsik burst through the door, collapsing to the ground as I was walking to the kitchen.  
“Wonsik!”  
“Taekwoon?” he mumbled, his exhaustion palpable.  
I carry him to the med bay where Hakyeon joined us within the minute. He looks him over before sighing, “He’s fine, just extremely exhausted. Let’s leave him to sleep.”  
We both leave him alone, though it’s killing me to know what happened to Y/N. Hongbin suddenly comes running down the hall, Jaehwan and Sanghyuk not far behind.   
“I hear a slam, what’s going on?” asked Hongbin.  
“Wonsik returned,” the oldest explained.  
“What about Y/N?”   
“We don’t know…we’ll just have to wait,” I hear Hakyeon say as I walk away. I go to Y/N’s office and lean against door, sliding down to the floor as tears begin to fall. I can’t hold back the sobs that force their way out.


	18. Where's Y/N?

It’s two days later when I walk into the lounge to find Wonsik curled up crying softly, his head in his hands.  
“Wonsik?”  
He looks up at me before looking back down at the floor. I sit down next to him.  
“She sacrificed herself for you,” he says, “She gave up her Rites and her freedom.”  
“What do you mean?”  
He sniffs, “The Elders forced her to become an Eternal.”  
I feel myself tense up. Becoming an Eternal was next to becoming an Elder. One that never dies, but Eternals hold no purpose to the Earth unlike the Elders. “What else? What do you mean by her freedom?”  
Wonsik takes a deep breath, “The North Koreans have her.”  
Time stops. I may have been held captive by the South, but the North…I can’t even fathom how torturous they would be to her and she has no chance of escaping it. The information that they’ll get from her will reignite the war.   
I stand.  
“We’ll need to be ready.”  
Wonsik sniffed, “What? For what?”  
“War.”


	19. Wait It Out...

It was a couple weeks later after making everything ready for a last minute notice that we left the base. As I went onto the military base, they immediately took me to General Park’s office.  
“What are you doing here?” he demanded.  
“I came start my enlistment, as was discussed in my trial,” I state after greeting him with a bow.  
He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms, “I was not given a statement on your pending arrival.”  
I nod, “It was decided recently that my reflection period would end earlier than expected. A statement will be arriving by week’s end.”  
He narrows his eyes at me, “Very well. You are dismissed.”  
I bow before exiting the room and the building. As I walk through the yard, I gaze out past the border. I could sense something brewing, but we just have to wait.  
“Leo? Come in, Leo!” Hakyeon’s voice breaks through the com.   
My brow furrows, “N? I thought I told you—“  
“It’s happened.”  
My head snaps to the border right before the siren goes off.  
“Shit.”


	20. That Escalated Quickly

“Everyone stations. Attack immanent,” General Park’s voice rang over the PA.  
As I ran to the front line, I ordered Hakyeon to get the team together.  
“Private! What do you think you are doing?!” General Park yelled.  
I skid to a stop, “Getting in position, Sir.”  
“You’re in lookout.”  
“But, Sir, I can do more—“  
“THAT’S AN ORDER!” He screams before heading towards the tank. I huff out a breath before heading towards the tower. When I got to the top, I saw a wave of North Soldiers marching up to the border, tanks not far behind.  
“They’re here!!!” Screamed another Private.   
That’s when I saw it, a ball of fire coming right at the tower. I grabbed the private before jumping right as the ball hit the structure. I feel my back hit the ground, knocking the air out of me, but the private was alive and only had a couple small scrapes. I stumble to my feet, he crawls away from me, fear in his eyes. I look at my hand, flames trickling around my fingers. Enemy soldiers are rushing up to us, but I move to stand in defence. My arms move on their own, sending out a whirlwind of fire, burning the soldiers to a crisp. Pain lurched in my back, causing me to turn to see another North soldier shakily holding a smoking gun. With a flick of my wrist, flames form into my sword; long, thin, and black as night. I struck down the soldier without a second thought.   
A bright flash in the sky catches my eye: Hakyeon.  
I start to head towards there location, taking down each enemy with ease when General Park stumbled across my path.  
“Where are you going?”   
“Special Ops. My team has contacted me.”  
“You were never in special ops training!”  
I simply smirk at him before walking away.  
“If you leave, you’ll be marked a traitor to the Republic of Korea!”  
I turn to face him, “I can help end this war and yet you want me to stay here and play lookout? Not this time.”  
With that, I turned my back to him to join the group.  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Hongbin found out where they’re keeping her, but it’s going to take a bit to get there,” Hakyeon stated as I approached them, gesturing to the one in question.  
“How so?”  
Hongbin sighed, “The prison is in the farthest North part of Russia. Heavily guarded, too.”  
“That’s not all. She’s scheduled to be transferred in four days to a different prison. The don’t keep her in a single location for long.”  
I turned away, gazing at the smoking base in the distance.   
“We need to get her back,” I faced them once more, “And we need to end this war.”  
They all nod.  
“To Russia!”  
To Y/N.


	21. Of Course She's in the Middle of Nowhere!

_Y/N’s POV:_

I don’t know what day it is. There was no light. No ticking of a clock. Not even the dripping water from a leaky faucet to count the time passing by, if it passed at all. Ever since I was brought to the North Korean Government, I had been transferred so often that I have lost track of where in the world I was. It didn’t help that I was blindfolded the entire time either. All I knew it was cold where I was right now. Then there were the experiments, the constant testing when I did settle. On top of that were the pigs in lab coats. Gods, I wanted to gut them so badly so I didn’t have to hear their slurs, their misogynistic statements, or feel their grouping hands. But I can’t.   
The gate to my cell opens, “Play time.”  
I practically could hear the smirk. Strong hands grab at my arms, dragging me out of my cell and pulling towards the lab.

_Taekwoon’s POV:_

We managed to make it up to the prison faster than we had hoped. We were situated right outside the border. We had two days until she was transferred yet again. We needed to get inside but security was tight.   
“I can faintly hear her deep in the facility, but she’s not moving much,” Hakyeon states. 

_Y/N’s POV:_

Alarms were blaring as I heard everyone drop what they were doing and run from the room. I sigh to myself. I don’t know how long it was but an explosion caused me to jump. Yelling. Wait….I know that voice. It’s muffled but I know that voice anywhere.  
“Taekwoon!” I try to shout, but it comes out as a whisper.  
A moment later, a door slams open and I feel two gentle hands cupping my face. The blind-fold falls away revealing two concerned warm brown eyes. I feel my bindings fall away as someone cuts them. My hands reach for Taekwoon, loosely pulling him to me.  
“We gotta go,” he says before picking me up, “Lead the way, N.”  
I feel Taekwoon’s grip tighten as he carries me through the facility. Last thing I remember was the harsh cold when we made it outside before losing consciousness.


	22. An Unwanted Pit-Stop

_Taekwoon’s POV:_

We made it out of Russia and were passing through North Korea when we got intercepted by the Elders’ guards. Leading us through a series of tunnels, they brought us to the Elder’s home. A guard stood in front of the door as we approach them.  
“Only one may enter,” the guard stated.  
I looked at my brothers, Y/N still unconscious in my arms.  
“You should go,” spoke up Hongbin, “We’ll watch over her.”  
Placing kiss on her forehead, I gently place her in Hongbin’s arms.  
“I’ll bring right back,” I whisper in her ear, before approaching the guard. He steps aside and the doors open. Walking inside, I move to the centre of the room, giving the Elders a deep bow.  
“I see you are well,” Chanda greets me.  
“I am. Thank you.”  
I spot Ester shift in her throne.  
“We were not expecting you to locate your wife as quick as you did,” Amor admits.  
“Just as she would do anything for me, I would do the same for her. I will go to the ends of the Universe for her,” I pause, taking a deep breathe before continuing, “If I may ask, why did bring us here? I need to get Y/N back home and help end this war before anymore lives are lost.”  
Jun suddenly stands, “This war has been expected for the last 50 years. The planet has been expecting it for sometime and has prepared herself for the long-run, and you want to end it when it has only been a little over a month?”  
“Do you want this war to wreak havoc? I understand that it has been expected for a while, but honestly it would not last long going by what I have seen in both North Korea and Russia. I will wait for Y/N to wake before taking action to lengthen the war for you, but I will not sit by and watch my country suffer. Y/N will not either, and when she wakes, you know she will definitely not stand by,” I counter before bowing and exiting the room. I make a beeline for Hongbin and take Y/N back into my arms, “Let’s go home.”  
As we go to walk, Chanda rushes over to us.  
“Wait!”  
We turn but don’t say anything.  
“Jun has been wanting this war for a while. That’s why they’re so adamant about prolonging it. The rest of the council agrees with you. With an impending natural disaster scheduled, we do not want to see more casualties that could’ve been avoided. Do what you said. Wait for her to wake, then take action. Know that you have our approval and that there is no more bad blood from our side.”  
I bow slightly, “Thank you.”  
It is then that we finally leave and make it home.


	23. Healing

_Y/N’s POV:_

The first thing I feel when I wake up are soft sheets against my skin and someone holding my hand. Opening my eyes to a softly lit room, my eyes immediately find Taekwoon to my left. The door opens suddenly, but quietly as Hakyeon walks in.   
“I heard you wake up,” he states, “but he hasn’t slept since we got back. That was about four days ago.”  
I sit up gingerly, trying not to disturb him before reaching over to pet his hair. He sighs, moving closer to me but doesn’t wake.   
“What happened since I left?”  
Hakyeon sighs, “Well, he is no longer dying. The North reinitiated the war. Taekwoon went into the military only to have his base attacked that day, causing him to kickstart our plan to rescue you. We ran up to Russia and breaking you out. On our way back through North Korea, the Elders intercepted us.”  
“What did they want?” I interrupt him.  
“Well, apparently Jun isn’t too happy with the fact that Taekwoon rescued you before the war could escalate. Jun wants the war to last longer.”  
I lean back at this. He had no say in human affairs. The Elders can only control the natural occurrences, not manmade. Picking up on my thoughts, Hakyeon cut them off, “The rest of the Elders are on our side. As soon as you are able, we are going to put an end to this. That was the promise made to Jun by everyone.”  
I nod, truly settling back down into the bed. Taekwoon shifts next to me.   
“Can we be moved into our bed? I don’t want him sleeping like that,” I quietly ask.  
Hakyeon gives a quick nod, “I’ll go get Hongbin.”  
As he leaves I reach to pet Taekwoon’s hair, enjoying the feeling after being separated for so long and without the fear of death dangling over us. I look up as Hongbing and Hakyeon return. The younger gently picks Taekwoon up, a faint ‘no’ escaping his lips. Hakyeon helps me out of the med bed before following the other two to the bedroom. When we enter, Hongbin had finished quickly changing Taekwoon into pyjamas and tucking him in. Hakyeon helped me get settled before leaving us to rest. I turn and attempt scooting closer to him. Putting my arms around him, he moves unconsciously to pull me into him as sleep takes over yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the update dump but I had updated this on tumblr back in July and completely forgot to update on here so yeah.....my bad....


	24. To War

_A Few Days Later:_

Taekwoon’s right behind me as I strut up to the gathered soldiers at the DMZ, after sending the guys to other locations along the border.  
“Update on their movements,” I demand. The general spins, shocked at my sudden presence.  
“Just who are you?” The general shouts, “How did you make it this far?” He begins to gesture for a soldier to take us away.  
“We’re help.”  
“I highly doubt that.”  
Just then, a wave of soldiers breaks through the tree-line.  
“No time for talk now,” I spin to Taekwoon, “Let’s go.” Is all I say before charging the enemy

~~~~~~

“Keep them back!” I shout.  
“We’re trying!” Taekwoon shouts back. He struggles over to me, punching several soldiers out of the way, “There’s too many of them. They’re stronger than the normal human too.”  
My eyes snap to his, “Do you think?”  
He confirms with a quick nod.  
“Fuck. How were they able to synthesise that so fast?”  
“I don’t know, but they definitely have your strength and speed.”  
I look away, trying to think of how to beat this when it struck, “But they don’t have everything of mine.”  
I strut forward into the DMZ, nothing holding me back.  
“Y/N, what are you doing?!”  
I look back at my husband. “Make sure the South’s army and the guys are out of the DMZ,” is all I say before continuing forth.  
“Y/N!!”  
I make it halfway through the zone when I feel my power begin to surge through my body. Water gathers around my feet as my walk following my path and quickly rising.  
“Who goes there?!” A voice shouts in front of me, but I do not answer. He rushes me, but I quickly dodge, flipping him hard into the ground. The water rises faster, now to my thighs. More soldiers begin to approach me. With the flick of my wrist, the water surges forth, knocking over trees and anything in its path. Suddenly the power took over my body, intensifying the wave before I black out.


	25. My Head Hurts

“Y/N? Y/N?” Someone is shaking my body as my eyes slowly open. Everything is blurry but soon, I can see Taekwoon breath a sigh of relief.   
“What the fuck were you thinking?” He pulls me into a hug, “Don’t do that to me again!”  
“Wh—,” a cough rips from my throat which is unusually dry, “What happened?”  
He breaks away, looking deep into my eyes, “You don’t know?”  
I shake my head, which proved to be a big mistake as a sharp pain pierced through my skull.  
Taekwoon rubs his fingers at the base of my neck. I look around as much as I can, but I don’t recognise the area. The trees, what few were still standing, were drenched with broken branches dangling. It was then I realised we were also in a river.  
“Where are we?”  
“Close to the Chinese border of North Korea.”  
I snap up, knocking my head against Taekwoon’s, “What?!”  
“After you passed the border, the water level rose in the North. At the DMZ when the water began to look like it would flood us as well, it just kept rising into a wall of water. It never passed into the South. The threat is gone. You ended the war before it really began. Jun’s gonna kill you.”  
He helps me to my feet.  
“Sucks for him.”  
He’s quiet as we begin the hike back to the South, “Do you remember how you did it?” Taekwoon asks after a while.  
“Did what?”  
“The flood. If any of us tried to do summon that much power, it could trigger us into our next cycle or the even the Rites.”  
My eyes widen, “But not me.”  
We stare at each other for a moment before continuing on.


	26. Oh Shit!

By the time I felt like myself again, it was the end of March. With the “war” done, everything was going well for the first time in twenty years, then I looked at the calendar.   
“Shit,” I run through the base gathering up a bag and stuff before going into the lounge where the boys were. Taekwoon immediately stood up, on edge.  
“What’s wrong?” he questioned.  
“I’m still enrolled in college!”  
Hakyeon flew from the couch, “Shit! Your roommate!”  
“I need to go back right now.”  
Wonsik speaks up, “I can get you back. Someone owns me a favour.”  
It’s a whirlwind of everyone gathering a bag together, heading to the airport then flying back to Ohio. Since the guys wanted to tag along, we ended up booking a room at the hotel in my college town. As they settled into their seats, I had sent an e-mail to my professors explaining that I was alive and apologising for the lack of contact (not that I could have done anything about it anyway). I sighed as I looked out the window at the highway as night took over. Since it was late at night when we arrived, I stayed with them in their room.  
Feeling a presence walk up behind me, Taekwoon’s arms wrap around me, placing his chin on my shoulder. “Whatever happens, we’re together now.”  
Letting out a deep breath, I lean back into his embrace, “She was so lost in her life, my human form. The professors are going to have their hands full as soon as I walk through those doors tomorrow.”  
We quietly chuckle at that.  
“Come to bed, jagiya.”  
I turn my head to face him before placing a chaste kiss on his lips before letting him lead me to the bedroom.


	27. Back to School

Welp, today was quite a day. A scolding from Y/F’s/N (plus hugs after), other friends freaking out that I was still alive, professors freaking out that I missed half the semester and angry phone calls from my human life’s parents. Taekwoon had been there for it all, giving space when space was needed.   
“Y/N, you are not going to be able to graduate this semester, not even if you were to stay up every single night. It’s impossible,” reasoned Mr. Turner.  
“And I am telling you, professor, to give me a chance. I will have this series down with a solid thesis paper by the time Easter break finishes.”  
He sighs heavily, “It’s impossible. And going by where you were before your disappearance, having a solid thesis in that amount of time is not realistic.”  
“Fine. Let me prove you wrong,” I say crossing my arms, standing my ground.  
He looks me in the eyes before shifting his gaze to Taekwoon sitting at the table in my studio, “By Easter break,” he states before turning to check on the other students.  
Taekwoon stands, closing the curtain behind him.   
“Let me guess, speed painting?” he asked.  
“Oh you know it,” I place a quick kiss on his lips, “I do have a solid plan though. It is more finalise than the shit I gave at finals last semester. Are you going to stay with me or are you going to go exploring?”  
“I’ll stay with you for tonight, but until you’re done painting, I’ll distract the guys.”  
I pull him into a hug, before turning to the canvases. Since the curtain was closed, I went to town on the paintings, painting with such speed that I could feel paint getting all over me. I lost track of time, but soon heard footsteps approaching studio space, so I had paused. I turned just in time to see Mr. Turner peering into my area, but in the corner of my eye I see Taekwoon trying his hardest to keep in his laughter.  
“Yes?”  
“Just checking.”  
And with that, he leaves. Then Taekwoon is floored, struggling to breathe through his laughter. I can’t help but join in.  
“I don’t…think there’s… a spot that isn’t…covered in paint on your face!!” he manages to get out. We continue laughing for a bit, before I go back to painting.


	28. That was a Close One

True to his word, Taekwoon kept the boys at bay as I worked. It was five days later when it was just Addie and I working in the painting room. I was speeding right along, listening to music when a gasp cut through. I look up to see Addie peeking through the curtain, staring at me with wide eyes.  
“How are you moving that fast?” she asked as soon as I took off my headphones.   
“I brought food!!” announced Taekwoon as he waltz into the room, holding up a takeout bag. I shrug at Addie, dodging the question as I reach for the containers that he started setting out, placing a quick kiss on his cheek.  
“I don’t believe that I’ve introduced my husband. Addie, this Taekwoon.”   
“Pleasure to meet you,” he says, giving her a slight bow.   
She looks between the two of us, confused, “‘Husband’? You never mentioned you were seeing someone.”  
“I didn’t feel it was necessary to mention. We wanted to keep it private,” I say around a mouthful of fried rice.  
“But why?”  
I looked at her, “Because that was what we wanted. Look at how you’re reacting now. This ‘marriage’ was rushed, but we’ve know each other a long time.”  
“How long?”  
“At least 5 years,” Taekwoon interjected, “We met through a mutual friend that she had met in high school through the exchange program.”   
Addie looked between us, but didn’t say anything as she returned to her studio.   
I gaze at Taekwoon with a knowing smirk, “She caught me speeding along. Thanks for the save.”  
“Anytime,” he smirks back, “You know I’ll save your ass.”  
We burst into laughter.


	29. Graduation

I managed to get everything caught up and finish my art work in time to pass every class and get the go ahead for graduation. Of course all the guys wanted to come, although Hakyeon had to hide from my parents. Yeah, they weren’t too happy that I went missing after leaving with him. I did try to explain but they won’t believe me. Oh well.  
It was finally graduation. Taekwoon and the guys sat away from my parents in the auditorium. I was sat next to Addie as the president gave his speech. It was during the mentioning of greek life that I spotted a not so subtle flash from Jaehwan.  
“What’s going on? And find another way to chat. Hongbin is too noticeable,” I mutter under my breath. I felt my phone vibrate. ‘Threat in the building,’ is all it said in hanja. **Shit.**  
“Send Hongbin, Jaehwan, and Hakyeon out on a search,” I mutter.  
“Something wrong?” I hear Alex asked.  
“Nope,” I smile. I don’t continue so she shrugs it off.  
Subtly, I notice one by one the boys leaving the auditorium as my section stood up to walk across the stage. My phone goes off again: ‘Sprites.’  
“Fuck,” I utter right as a gun goes off. People started screaming as a large masked group rushes into the room.  
Another machine gun goes off, “SHUT UP!” A voice shouts.  
Quiet.  
“Now,” the leader stated in a thick Russian accent, “We are looking for five specific people. Surrender them and we’ll let you go.”  
My eyes narrow at him. He’s lying. Taekwoon and I make eye contact and he starts to slowly make his way towards me. I notice one of the gunmen raise his rifle, and my arm moves without thinking. A tentacle of water wraps around the firearm as another wraps around the man, pulling the two apart. The rest of the guys go after the  
The fire alarms go off as Hakyeon’s voice echoes on the PA system, “Everyone get out of the building!”  
Hongbin drags the leader up onto the stage as everyone flees, I toss my cap to the side and crouch down to stare him in the eye, “What’s the meaning of this?”  
“You broke your promise.”  
“What promise?”  
He sneers, but refuses to elaborate. With a sigh, I reach out and yank his hair, pulling a yelp from him.  
“What. Promise.”  
“To let the war happen.”  
I look up to Taekwoon.  
“I never promised anything to Chanda. I warned them. I said I wouldn’t stand by and watch my country suffer and Y/N definitely wouldn’t either.”  
I turn my attention back to the Russian, “Go back to them and tell them what you’ve heard. No promise was broken. If they want a fight, they are to come directly to me. Not endanger innocent people because their fun was ruined.”  
Pushing him to the ground, I straighten. He sits there, looking up in fear.  
“What are you waiting for? Go!”  
He scrambles away, his partners joining him on the way out.  
Taekwoon walks up to me, putting his arm around my shoulders, “A hell storm is coming for us now.”  
“Jun can suck it up for once. If they really didn’t want me fucking with their plans, they wouldn’t have ordered me to become immortal.”  
Hakyeon looks to me, “Then what now?”  
“We’ll see if a war will truly happen.”


End file.
